Antler’s new Lagos cohort features TC Battlefield startups

Antler, a global investment network that focuses on early-stage investments, officially kicked off its latest Lagos cohort on October 20. Among the entrants are three startups from the highly competitive TC Battlefield competition— Ulé Homes, Polaroid, and Lexlytic — which earned direct entry into the program after standing out at this year’s pitch event.

Ulé Homes, the winner of TC Battlefield 2025, offers rent financing to Nigerians; Polaroid is a startup that allows filmmakers to set up premium video-on-demand channels to distribute and monetise their films to viewers independently, and Lexlytic is developing an AI-powered regulatory compliance platform.

The partnership reflects a natural alignment between two ecosystem forces: TC Battlefield identifies Africa’s most promising founders at the idea or product stage, while Antler provides the network and funding that helps them turn those ideas into scalable businesses.

Founders in Antler’s Lagos program gain access to over $400,000 in partner credits, mentorship, and other perks from day one. Over the eight-week, in-person program, participants refine their business models, form teams through co-founder matching, and test for product–market fit. The highest-performing startups can secure up to $100,000 in pre-seed funding from Antler.

“Antler in Africa is designed for builders with real spikes — people who know their domain, move fast, and are ready to start now,” said Lola Masha, a partner at Antler.

Founders do not need a co-founder or a finished product to apply for the program. What matters is their depth of insight and capacity to execute those insights. By the fourth week of the program, those without teams are matched based on complementary strengths and chemistry through co-founder matching. Over the 56-day course of the program, teams sharpen their models and test for product-market fit.

“We back teams that show deep insight, grit, speed to execute, and commercial clarity, the ones already turning signal into traction,” Anil Atmaramani, another partner at Antler, said.

Antler’s first Nigerian cohort saw over 7,500 applications, with only 24, less than 1%, making the final cut to develop solutions in the fintech, education, food security, and industrial tech sectors. Some of Antler’s portfolio companies from its inaugural Lagos cohort include Cubbes, an edtech platform, Forti Foods, an agritech startup, and Raba, a fintech solution provider.